KEY POINTS:
Members of an Auckland college's rugby team visiting Britain were disciplined for drinking alcohol on the night player Ross Kimpton died, but the college believes the incidents are not connected.
Howick College acting principal Sheryll Ofner confirmed today that up to 18 team members had been found drinking alcohol in a hostel room in The Lodge, in Norfolk Square, London, at the weekend.
A few hours later, 17-year-old Ross fell to his death from a window on the fourth floor. His death is not regarded as suspicious.
The Lodge manager John Blandon told Newstalk ZB that he saw the students drinking alcohol downstairs before they returned to their room, and that there were complaints about noise until the time Ross fell from the window.
Mr Blandon thought the teenagers' alcohol use contributed to the death, but Ms Ofner said the two incidents didn't appear to be connected.
"What I do know is that our students had to be woken up when the incident occurred and that's why they don't know what happened and I don't know what happened," she said.
"I have been advised that there doesn't seem to be a link, but in saying that, clearly I'm sitting in New Zealand. Like everybody else, I don't want to jump to a conclusion."
She said she would reserve full judgment until a hearing into Ross' death was completed at Westminster Coroner's Court today.
Ms Ofner said there was no suggestions the students were drunk but they knew they weren't allowed to touch alcohol.
"They all signed a contract which clearly stated that they would not be involved with alcohol or drugs and parents signed it too, and they were given a copy of our disciplinary process," she told NZPA.
"What I understood was that there wasn't enough alcohol in that room for the kids that were in that room to have even had one beer each.
"Whilst I totally condemn the fact that they had that alcohol there, and I'm extremely disappointed, I have implemented the level of discipline for that first offence."
The students had lost some privileges as a result of the alcohol use and now had to do everything together as a group with teachers present, she said.
Team members decided to continue with the tour yesterday.
"My advice from the professionals is that them being together is really helping them to cope," Ms Ofner said.
Ms Ofner believed Ross' family had gone to England to bring back the boy's body.
The school is likely to have a memorial service for him when the next college term starts and the team has arrived back in New Zealand.
About 50 pupils turned up to the college yesterday, the first day of the holidays, with many of them writing letters of condolence to Ross' family and messages of support to the team.
A staff member due to leave on Thursday to join the team would take the messages with him.
Ms Ofner said the news of Ross' death had been devastating for the school and counselling for pupils was available.
She described Ross, a Year 13 pupil with interests in technical subjects, as someone who was well-regarded by teachers and fellow students.
- NZPA
